MORGAN HILL -- Police this week arrested a middle school student who allegedly ignored warnings to stop bullying two other students earlier this week.

"He'll be sent to the juvenile court system for a hearing with his parents," said Sgt. Troy Hoefling, who did not release the suspect's age.

Police did not identify the boy or his two victims because they are minors, but they all attend Britton Middle School in the south Santa Clara County town.

According to police, the chain of events started earlier this week when two 13-year-old Britton students reported being bullied by the student at school and at a home. They said the boy threatened and assaulted them at the house.

Police said they alerted the school's resource officer, who contacted the boy and told him to steer clear of the other two. Police said the boy understood the order. But that same day, police said, the boy threatened one of the students at the city skate park and then followed that up with threatening text messages to the students' cellphones and with postings on Facebook.

The resource officer contacted the students and their parents. Police cited -- the technical term for a juvenile arrest -- the unidentified suspect on suspicion of battery, making harassing phone calls, disturbing the peace with offensive words likely to provoke an immediate violent reaction and a municipal code violation of discharging a weapon (air gun) within the city limits. He also faces disciplinary action from the Morgan Hill Unified School District.

Advertisement

School officials could not be reached for comment Thursday. It wasn't clear if the suspect boy was suspended or allowed to attend school pending his case in juvenile court.

In a news release, police Chief David Swing said, "I encourage others who have been bullied by this suspect or by others to report it to a teacher or other responsible adult immediately so that they do not have to endure pain from immature and insecure children."